Lessons from Estalia

Battille el Amazonas (Battle of the Amazons)

• Battle facts: Third 2250 point game in the Aftermath Irregular league
• Empire with Dogs of war (Kevin Smith) vs. Wood Elves (Will)
• Scenario: Standard
• Location: Lustria

El-dorado, city of gold. High in the mountains by a sacred lake. Every Conquistador knew the legend. But if it existed it was many leagues away across steamy Lustrian jungles. Undaunted, Pirazzo struck out for the distant prize but was halted at the village of Las Palmas a short way up the trail. The village was held by some very unfriendly tree-worshipping natives who believed their sacred plants would be desecrated by iron. Messages were sent back to the main army and reinforcements were quickly despatched to deal with these tree-huggers.

Let battle be joined for gold and for Eldorado!

Many thanks to Will for stepping in and battling as quickly as his wily Wood Elves are apt to do. 'Wood' they disappear as quickly? Can Conquistadors conquer the top of the Irregular League table or will Will make it his own? Will's men/trees beat the Conquistadors last time they played with patient stealth tactics which negated all my missile fire and forced a rash advance from the Tank and Knights which was soundly thrashed. If my army wasn’t going to suffer the same fate, I needed to learn from my experience.

The Wood Elf army has a 'native' feel to it just like the Southlands army so I kept a similar force to my last one. Pikes, Crossbows and a cannon to anchor my deployment zone but with plenty of armoured knights and the Steam Tank to 'go get em'. Also with one extra wizard to keep the trees quiet and hopefully to set a few on fire too.

A humble battle report from Arch Lector Cortez to his radiant majesty King Ferdinand of Estalia, the Empire etc ...

Las Palmas lay in the centre of a large clearing. A strange village woven from clumps of trees. All was quiet as our men approached but this was just a native trap. The enemy army suddenly emerged from the tree-line on the opposite side of the clearing. Our battle lines were hastily drawn up.

Crossbows and a cannon covered the entrances to either side of the village but nothing presented itself as a target apart from 2 small units of native bowmen. This was obviously a diversion, the Elves and their terrible walking wooden monsters were approaching from behind the clumps of trees!. Had we waited, we could have been ambushed and overwhelmed in our own battle lines. Thus it was time for a decisive attack in the name of Estalia and El Conquista!

May it please my Lord to know that our bold strategy was a complete success. The Jinetas, Knights Panther and Steam Tank hunted down natives and strange feral tree creatures lurking around the rear of the village and stands of trees where they thought they would be safe from our crossbow fire. Our fine Estalian plate armour once again proved effective in warding off their primitive weapons and claws. Also noteworthy is our great cannon crew, who did not misfire once all battle (a rarity in this damp climate) and took out the native war chief astride a giant eagle in one clean shot. Thus caught between hammer and anvil, the men of wood were crushed by the men of iron.

Signor Pirazzo leads his men on a gold-hunting expedition to the fabled Eldorado while I continue to carve out an empire in the name of your glorious majesty.

Cortez

Massacre and top league spot to Los Conquistadors! Olé!